Making a simple p/an of your garden will help y0u think through ideas and maximise your space.
Time to do: autumn-winter
It's worth taking a little time to think about the design and layout of your garden before you get planting, as it’s easier to make changes on paper than on the ground. You don’t need to be a garden designer to draw a plan, simply start by measuring out the space, then plot it out on a piece of graph paper. Once you have your basic layout, mark on it any permanent features such as trees, ponds, paths, and so on. Also include the house wall and mark where the back door is, and which way is north. This is essential so you know which wall is south facing and therefore sunny and warm perfect for growing a grapevine or fan-trained peach tree. Eastand north-facing walls are colder, shadier and better suited to growing a blackberry or hybrid berry. Use this drawing as a template, make a few photocopies and play around with ideas, putting plants and beds in different places until you come up with something you like and that works for you and your space. Raised beds are ideal for small gardens as they contain your crops. You can also construct paths around them, which means you can tend crops without compacting the soil. Chunky timber beds, like those pictured opposite. can be a real design statement in their own right
TIP Position a little bed for salad leaves neaI the kitchen door, or any other crop that grows quickly and gets used often.
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